The High Court has ordered a man to remove from his Facebook page comments directed at a leading plant hire firm in a row over payment for a digger.
Shannon Valley Plant Hire based in Donabate, Co Dublin, secured a High Court injunction against Conor Judge of Shanraw, Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim after the court heard of "outrageous and defamatory comments" posted on his Facebook page.
In a sworn statement read to the court company director Michael English said his company was involved in the operation of a quarry in Rathcoole which was owned by a third party.
He said Mr Judge was in dispute with the owners over a machine he claimed to have sold to the owners five years ago.
He said it appeared Mr Judge wrongfully believed that Shannon Valley Plant Hire was now responsible for an alleged debt.
The court was told the company never had any dealings with the defendant in any capacity but Mr Judge had placed a defamatory advertisement on the website Done Deal claiming that Mr English and another man had "stolen" his machine.
The ad was removed but Mr Judge later posted on a Facebook page under the name Conor Mac An Breithneamh, in which he referred to Mr English and his "drug dealing buddies" and alleged he was "robbing machinery here and selling it into Nigeria".
It also states: "when I get him and his brothers I'm going to bore holes in them for the f***ing fun of it".
Mr English said he only became aware of the comments when his company began to receive phonecalls form third parties and from some staff members who are from Leitrim.
He was also approached at an international machinery auction in Leeds where he was asked about the Facebook post by a director of another plant hire company.
Mr English said the post was very threatening in nature and he feared for his personal safety and reported the comments to gardaí.
Attempts were made to report the matter to Facebook but they were unsuccessful and he was unable to get the content removed.
A solicitor's letter was sent to Mr Judge but the comments remained online.
Lawyers for Mr English told the court Mr Judge had written a letter threatening "more bad publicity" for Shannon Valley unless he received payment for the machine. He had also claimed "the truth is not defamation".
The injunction application was made on an ex parte or one side only basis. Mr Judge will now be informed of the proceedings.
Mr Justice Brian Cregan granted an interim injunction ordering Mr Judge to remove the material from his Facebook page as soon as possible. The case returns to court on Friday.
